engine Ram 5500 Chassis Cab 2011 Owner's Guide

NOTE:Keep in mind that you have to press the Voice
Command
button first and wait for the beep
before speaking the “Barge In” commands.
Voice Training
For users experiencing difficulty with the system recog-
nizing their voice commands or numbers the Uconnect™
Voice “Voice Training” feature may be used.
1. Press the Voice Command
button, say “System
Setup” and once you are in that menu then say “Voice
Training.” This will train your own voice to the system
and will improve recognition.
2. Repeat the words and phrases when prompted by
Uconnect™ Voice. For best results, the “Voice Training”
session should be completed when the vehicle is parked,
engine running, all windows closed, and the blower fan
switched off. This procedure may be repeated with a new
user. The system will adapt to the last trained voice only.
SEATS
Seats are a primary part of the Occupant Restraint System
of the vehicle. Proper use of the seats is needed for safe
operation of the vehicle.
WARNING!
•It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seri-
ously injured or killed.
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 121

WARNING!
Adjusting a seat while the vehicle is moving is
dangerous. The sudden movement of the seat could
cause you to lose control. The seat belt might not be
properly adjusted and you could be injured. Adjust
any seat only while the vehicle is parked.
Heated Seats — If Equipped
Both front seats and rear passenger outboard seats can be
equipped with heaters. The switches for the front seats
are located in the instrument panel under the climate
controls. The switches for the rear passenger seats are
located on the back of the center console.
After turning the ignition ON, you can choose from High,
Low, or Off heat settings. Amber indicator lights in each
switch indicate the level of heat in use. Two indicator
lights will illuminate for High, one for Low, and none for
Off.Press the switch once to select High-
level heating. Press the switch a sec-
ond time to select Low-level heating.
Press the switch a third time to shut
the heating elements Off.
NOTE: The engine must be running for the heated seats
to operate.
The heated seats switch from High to Low and from Low
to Off automatically, based on time and temperature of
the seat. The heated seats can operate on High heat for as
little as 4 minutes and up to 30 minutes before switching
to Low heat. Once a seat has switched to the Low heat
setting it may operate for an additional 60 minutes before
automatically shutting Off. The heated seats can shut Off
early or may not turn on when the seat is already warm.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 129

Ventilated Seats — If Equipped
Located in the seat cushion and seatback are small fans
that draw the air from around the occupant and exhaust
it underneath the seat and into the passenger compart-
ment. The fans draw this air across the surface of the seat
using air ducts and fine perforations in the covering to
help keep the driver cooler in higher ambient tempera-
tures.
The ventilated seat switches are located in the switch
bank in the center stack of the instrument panel, just
below the climate controls. The fans operate at two
speeds, High and Low.Press the switch once to choose High,
press it a second time to choose Low.
Pressing the switch a third time will
turn the ventilated seat Off. When
High speed is selected both lights on the switch will be illuminated. When Low speed is
selected one light will be illuminated.
NOTE:
•The engine must be running for the ventilated seats to
operate.
•The driver’s ventilated seat can be programmed to
come on during a remote start. Refer to “Remote
Starting System — If Equipped” in “Things to Know
Before Starting Your Vehicle” for further information.
40-20-40 Front Bench Seat — If Equipped
The seat is divided into three segments. The outboard
seat portions are each 40% of the total width of the seat.
The back of the center portion (20%) easily folds down to
provide an armrest/center storage compartment (if
equipped).
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 131

NOTE:The engine must be running before the head-
lights will turn on in the Automatic Mode.
Headlight Delay
To aid in your exit, your vehicle is equipped with a
headlight delay that will leave the headlights on for
approximately 90 seconds. This delay is initiated when
the ignition is turned OFF while the headlight switch is
on, and then the headlight switch is cycled off. Headlight
delay can be cancelled by either turning the headlight
switch on then off, or by turning the ignition ON.
The headlight delay time is programmable on vehicles
equipped with an Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
(EVIC)/Customer-Programmable Features (SETUP)” in
“Understanding Your Instrument Panel” for further
information.
Parking Lights and Panel Lights
To turn on the parking lights and instrument panel
lights, rotate the headlight switch clockwise. To
turn off the parking lights, rotate the headlight switch
back to the O (Off) position.
Fog Lights — If Equipped
The fog lights are turned on by placing the headlight
rotary control in the parking light or headlight position
and pushing in the headlight rotary control.
140 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Lights-on Reminder
If the headlights, parking lights, or cargo lights are left on
after the ignition is turned OFF, a chime will sound when
the driver’s door is opened.
Battery Saver
To protect the life of your vehicle’s battery, load shedding
is provided for both the interior and exterior lights.
If the ignition is OFF and any door is left ajar for
10 minutes or the dimmer control is rotated right for
10 minutes, the interior lights will automatically turn off.
If the headlights remain on while the ignition is cycled
OFF, the exterior lights will automatically turn off after
eight minutes. If the headlights are turned on and left on
for eight minutes while the ignition is OFF, the exterior
lights will automatically turn off.
NOTE:Battery saver mode is cancelled if the ignition is
ON.
Daytime Running Lights — If Equipped
The headlights on your vehicle will illuminate when the
engine is started and the transmission is in any gear
except PARK. This provides a constant Lights ON
condition until the ignition is turned OFF. The lights
illuminate at less than 50% of normal intensity. If the
parking brake is applied, the Daytime Running Lights
(DRL) will turn OFF. Also, if a turn signal is activated, the
DRL lamp on the same side of the vehicle will turn off for
the duration of the turn signal activation. Once the turn
signal is no longer active, the DRL lamp will illuminate.
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever is located on the left side of the
steering column.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 143

NOTE:
•The engine must be running for the heated steering
wheel to operate.
•The heated steering wheel can be programmed to
come on during a remote start. Refer to “Remote
Starting System — If Equipped” in Section 4 for
further information.
WARNING!
•Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, ex-
haustion, or other physical conditions must exer-
cise care when using the steering wheel heater. It
may cause burns even at low temperatures, espe-
cially if used for long periods.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not place anything on the steering wheel that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or cush-
ion. This may cause the steering wheel heater to
overheat.
ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL — IF EQUIPPED
When engaged, Electronic Speed Control takes over the
accelerator operation at speeds greater than 25 mph
(40 km/h). The Electronic Speed Control lever is located
on the right side of the steering wheel.
150 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
To avoid serious injury or death:
•Only devices designed for use in this type of
outlet should be inserted into any 12 Volt outlet.
•Do not touch with wet hands.
•Close the lid when not in use and while driving
the vehicle.
•If this outlet is mishandled, it may cause an
electric shock and failure.
CAUTION!
•Many accessories that can be plugged in draw
power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not in
use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery will
discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life
and/or prevent the engine from starting.
•Accessories that draw higher power (i.e., coolers,
vacuum cleaners, lights, etc.), will discharge the
battery even more quickly. Only use these inter-
mittently and with greater caution.
•After the use of high power draw accessories, or
long periods of the vehicle not being started (with
accessories still plugged in), the vehicle must be
driven a sufficient length of time to allow the
generator to recharge the vehicle’s battery.
158 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Plastic Grocery Bag Retainers (Regular Cab
Models)
Retainer hooks which will hold plastic grocery bag
handles are built into the back panel of the cab, behind
the seats.
REAR WINDOW FEATURES
Rear Window Defroster
The rear window defroster button is located on the
climate control panel. Press this button to turn on
the rear window defroster and the heated outside mirrors
(if equipped). An indicator in the button will illuminate
when the rear window defroster is on. The rear window
defroster automatically turns off after approximately
10 minutes. For an additional five minutes of operation,
press the button a second time.
NOTE: To prevent excessive battery drain, use the rear
window defroster only when the engine is operating.
Grocery Bag Hooks
170 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DESCRIPTIONS
1. Tachometer
The Tachometer indicates engine speed in revolutions per
minute.
CAUTION!
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer
pointer at high RPM for extended periods. Engine
damage may occur.
2. Turn Signal Indicators The arrow will flash with the exterior turn signal
when the turn signal lever is operated.
NOTE:
•A continuous chime will sound if the vehicle is driven
more than 1 mile (1.6 km) with either turn signal on.
•Check for an inoperative outside light bulb if either
indicator flashes at a rapid rate.
3. Fuel Gauge
Shows level of fuel in tank when ignition switch is in the
ON position.
4. Temperature Gauge
The temperature gauge shows engine coolant tempera-
ture. Any reading within the normal range indicates that
the engine cooling system is operating satisfactorily.
The gauge pointer will likely indicate a higher tempera-
ture when driving in hot weather, up mountain grades,
or when towing a trailer. It should not be allowed to
exceed the upper limits of the normal operating range.
180 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot engine cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If temperature gauge reads “H” pull over
and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle with the air
conditioner turned off until the pointer drops back into
the normal range. If the pointer remains on the “H” and
you hear continuous chimes, turn the engine off imme-
diately, and call an authorized dealership for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or others
could be badly burned by steam or boiling coolant. You
may want to call an authorized dealership for service if
your vehicle overheats. If you decide to look under the
hood yourself, see “Maintaining Your Vehicle”. Follow
the warnings under the Cooling System Pressure Cap
paragraph.
5. Speedometer
The speedometer shows the vehicle speed in miles per
hour and/or kilometers per hour (mph/km/h).
6. 4 LOWThis light alerts the driver that the vehicle is in
the four-wheel drive LOW mode. The front and
rear driveshafts are mechanically locked to-
gether forcing the front and rear wheels to
rotate at the same speed. Low range provides a greater
gear reduction ratio to provide increased torque at the
wheels.
7. Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Light This light informs you of a problem with the
Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) system. The
light will come on when the ignition is first
turned ON and remain on briefly as a bulb
check. If the light does not come on during starting, have
the system checked by an authorized dealer.
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 181